1 UPhawuli loThimothi, inceku zikaKhristu uJesu,

Lakubo bonke abangcwele kuKhristu uJesu eFiliphi kanye lababonisi labadikoni:

2 Umusa lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba leNkosini uJesu Khristu kakube kini.

3 Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu wami izikhathi zonke lapho ngilikhumbula. 4 Emikhulekweni yami yonke ngilikhulekela lonke, ngihlezi ngikhuleka ngokuthokoza 5 ngenxa yokuhlanganyela kwenu evangelini kusukela ngosuku lwakuqala kuze kube khathesi, 6 ngilethemba lokuthi lowo owaqalisa umsebenzi omuhle kini uzawuqhubekisela phambili kuze kube lusuku lukaKhristu uJesu.

7 Kuqondile ukuthi ngicabange ngokunjalo ngenxa yenu lonke, njengoba ngilani enhliziyweni yami njalo lanxa ngibotshiwe kumbe ngivikela ivangeli loba ngiliqinisa, lonke lihlanganyela lami emuseni kaNkulunkulu. 8 UNkulunkulu angafakaza ukuthi lonke ngilifiselani ngothando lukaKhristu uJesu.

9 Umkhuleko wami ngowokuthi uthando lwenu lwande kokuphela ekwazini lasekuzikeni kokuqedisisa 10 ukuze lenelise ukubona okuhle njalo lihlambuluke lingabi lasici kuze kube lusuku lukaKhristu, 11 ligcwele izithelo zokulunga ezibuya ngoJesu Khristu ekudunyisweni lasekubongweni kukaNkulunkulu.

12 Bazalwane, ngifuna ukuba lazi ukuthi okwenzakale kimi kusizile impela ekuqhubekeliseni ivangeli phambili. 13 Ngalokho, sekube sobala kubo bonke abalindi besigodlo lakwabanye bonke ukuthi ngibotshelwe uKhristu. 14 Ngenxa yokubotshwa kwami, abazalwane abanengi sebelethemba eNkosini njalo sebelesibindi esikhulu sokutshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu bengelakwesaba.

15 Kuliqiniso ukuthi abanye batshumayela uKhristu ngenxa yomona lombango kodwa abanye ngenxa yesifiso esihle. 16 Laba benza lokhu ngothando bekwazi ukuthi ngifakwe lapha ukuba ngivikele ivangeli. 17 Abakuqala batshumayela ngoKhristu ngokuzikhukhumeza, bengeqotho, becabanga ukuthi bangangidalela uhlupho ngisekubotshweni. 18 Kodwa-ke, kusizani pho? Into eqakathekileyo yikuthi ngezindlela zonke, ingabe kuyinjongo engalunganga loba eyeqiniso, uKhristu uyatshunyayelwa. Njalo ngenxa yalokhu mina ngiyathokoza.

Yebo, ngizaqhubeka ngithokoza, 19 ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi ngemikhuleko yenu langosizo lukaMoya kaJesu Khristu, okwenzakale kimi kuzaletha ukukhululwa kwami. 20 Ngokutshiseka ngilindele njalo ngithemba ukuthi angiyikuyangeka langayiphi indlela, kodwa ngizakuba lesibindi esaneleyo ukuze kuthi khathesi njengenjwayelo uKhristu uzakudunyiswa emzimbeni wami, loba ngokuphila kumbe ngokufa. 21 Ngoba kimi, ukuphila kunguKhristu lokufa kuyinzuzo. 22 Nxa ngingaqhubeka ngiphila emzimbeni, lokhu kuzakutsho umsebenzi olezithelo kimi. Kodwa-ke, kuyini engizakukhetha? Angazi! 23 Ngiphakathi kwakho kokubili: Ngifisa ukusuka ngibe loKhristu, okungcono kakhulu; 24 Kodwa kuyasweleka kakhulu kini ukuba ngibe ngilokhu ngiphila kulumzimba. 25 Sengikholwe lokhu, ngiyakwazi ukuthi ngizakuba khona, njalo ngizaqhubeka ngilani lonke ngenxa yokuthuthuka kwenu lokuthokoza ekukholweni, 26 ukuze kuthi ngokuba lani kwami futhi, ukuthokoza kwenu kuKhristu uJesu kuzakwanda ngenxa yami.

27 Loba kusenzakalani, lina ziphatheni ngendlela efanele ivangeli likaKhristu. Ngakho, langabe ngiyeza ukuzalibona loba ngizwe nje kuphela ngani ngingekho, ngizakwazi ukuba liqinile ngaMoya munye, lilwela ukholo lwevangeli njengomuntu munye, 28 kungekho kwethuswa langayiphi indlela yilabo abaliphikisayo. Lokhu kuyisibonakaliso kubo ukuthi bazachithwa, kodwa lina lizasindiswa nguNkulunkulu. 29 Ngoba kunikelwe kini ngenxa kaKhristu kungasikukholwa kuye kuphela, kodwa lokumhluphekela, 30 njengoba lilwisa hlupho lunye elabona ngilalo, lakhathesi liyezwa ukuba ngilokhu ngilalo.